62:2 (Messenger to Gentiles)

The next verse we will analyze is the following:

62:2 He is the One who sent to the ummyeen a messenger from among them, to recite to them His revelations, purify them, and teach them the scripture and wisdom. Before this, they had gone far astray. هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِنْ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ

Let’s apply each of the two meanings to see which one is more accurate. If we translate the word “l-umiyīna” ( الْأُمِّيِّينَ) as illiterates, then this would imply that all the Arabs were illiterate as this was the immediate group of people that the prophet was sent to. Yet we know that the Arabs were not all illiterate. Claiming that they were would be historically inaccurate and would contradict the Quran.

For example, the Quran would not command the Arabs at the time of the prophet to perform a task they would be unable to complete. If we are to believe that the original recipients of the Quran were illiterate people who could not read or write, then it would not make sense that several verses in the Quran exhort believers to write. This is specifically in financial transactions, where it states to write them down and not tire of writing the details, no matter how small.